Modern high volume package delivery systems often include package conveying systems that accept packages from one or more loading stations, and transport the packages to a variety of output destinations such as chutes, bins, and subsequent conveyor systems.
One of the most conventional types of conveyors is a belt conveyor, which includes the use of an endless flexible belt which passes over at least two cylindrical rollers, one of which is a drive roller. Packages are placed atop the upwardly-directed "working" surface of the belt conveyor, and are transported in a generally straight direction from end of the conveyor to the other. Another type of conveyor is a "roller" conveyor which con include powered or idling rollers which contact, support, and in certain instances propel the bottom of the package along its path.
Some conveying systems include diversion features which allow for the discharge of objects from a conveying surface at selected stations located along the path of the conveying surface. Some package diverting systems utilize a pusher element mounted relative to a conveying surface which when actuated ejects an adjacently placed package laterally across the conveyor surface to the desired discharge station. Some package diverting systems include the use of diversion elements which lie along the conveyor and provide the diversion forces against the bottom surfaces of the package.
A modular diverter shoe and slat construction disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,127,510 to Cotter describes a modular diverter shoe for use in a slat conveyor. A diverter shoe is mounted to each slat so that the shoe may glide across the slat. The movement of the diverter shoe is affected by a guide pin and coaxial bearing which engages a network of guide tracks located beneath the conveying surface. When a package is to be diverted, a diverting switch is actuated to switch the guide pins for the diverter shoe adjacent to the package onto a diagonal track, which causes the diverter shoe to move across the slat and eject the package.
Another apparatus for sorting objects is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,732,260 to Canziani. In that system, a conveyor belt is described in which each conveyor element has a slit. The pusher elements are slidably inserted into the slits and each pusher element is connected to a drive element that extends beneath the conveyor surface. The drive element is attached to rollers and interacts with a series of cams or guide rails located beneath the conveyor. The cams include an electro-pneumatic two-position end portion. In one position, the cam engages the drive element rollers and slides the pusher element. In a second position, the rollers do not engage the guide rails.
The prior art also discloses the use of cradling- or conveying-type apparatuses having limited tilting ranges. Upon the tilting of the apparatuses, item are sidewardly ejected.
Example of "cradling" types of prior art are shown in Soviet Reference Nos. 1320-141-A and 1421-640-A. As can be seen, these references generally show the use of a conveyor section which pivots about an axis parallel to the conveying axis in order to eject items sidewardly from their conveying path. These "cradling" configurations tend to maintain the logs in a desired "cradled" position until the cradle is titled so much that the logs roll out of the cradle under the influence of gravity.
U.S. Pat. No. 1,549,499 to Parker discloses the use of a foot actuated lever 8 for controlling the raising of elevating rollers 10 into a conveying path. The rollers 10 when raised above the normal conveying plane and into contact with a package, cause the package to tilt and roll off the rollers 10 and sidewardly off the conveyor under the influence of gravity.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,348,678 to Flowers discloses the use of a conveyor section which is tiltable to either side by the use of a pair of linearly-actuating fluid cylinders.
The amount of "down time" a conveying system or sorting system is shut down for repairs and/or maintenance significantly impacts operating efficiency. Thus, reliability and ease of repair are major requirements. Reliability can be increased and down time reduced by constructing package conveying and sorting systems where mechanical assemblies may be quickly and easily removed and replaced without the use of tools. Such construction may be accomplished by use of detachable mechanical assemblies such as package diverters or by mounting mechanical assemblies on modular conveying systems such that the failed mechanical assemblies or the conveyor sections housing the failed assemblies may be quickly removed and replaced. Furthermore, because of the increased speeds required of modern package handling systems, reduction of noise levels is also a major requirement.
Although the prior art may include advantages, disadvantages likewise exist. The prior art does not include a rotatable member including an integral conveyor, which can be used to quickly and reliably discharge items such as parcel to either side of a conveyor path. The prior art also lacks the allowance for quick and easy replacement of critical moving parts within the apparatus which tend to first wear out or otherwise require servicing, therefore reducing the amount of "down time" involved.